>What do folks think about the possibility that CW QSOs count as
>another same-points QSO (like in Field Day)?
>
>This would give incentive to do CW, and give us all a much-needed
>boost in QSO totals.
Hi Bill, I'll say this again, I guess.. What good does it do to give
EVERYBODY in the contest a boost in QSO totals?? ("Thanks for the SSB qso,
OM, now please go to CW") Besides it wouldn't be everybody! The entry level
contesters would most likely NOT see it as incentive to learn code, and
would just make them less able to compete - a negative incentive.
Plus, while I am a big proponent of CW in contests and ALWAYS use the mode,
what are we trying to accomplish here?? Get more operators on CW before we
"lose the mode"?? It's not like the argument for utilizing our spectrum.
THAT we do need to do by getting on the bands (as you say!) before we LOSE
them. But changing the rules of the contest to make more points for using CW
does nothing to help our cause, it just makes the big scores bigger, some of
the middle scores bigger and the small guy stays the same. The VHF contests
are not like field day or the 10 meter contest. For one thing, there are a
LOT less of us, for another thing, we are dealing a whole lot more with
signals at the noise level, for another operators regularly use CW in the
non-cw part of the band. The point I am making is that CW is and should be
just one way to make a contact that you otherwise would not. It is just a
natural part of VHF operation!
The very best thing to do here is to use this forum to inform folks that
operating CW *will* increase their score in the contest. Think about when
there is an aurora. On 2M and above CW is essential. That knowledge right
there is the incentive. Operators that are prepared will benefit.
This whole thing reminds me of the grid square argument many years ago. Many
midwest and western stations really wanted grid squares as multipliers
because they claimed they couldn't compete with the eastern stations.
Stations in the middle of Wyoming only had a couple sections in range, while
east coast stations had many many sections because the sections were
smaller. Well grid squares WERE a good idea but they certainly did not help
the western stations compete with the eastern ones! If anything it made
things worse. What DID help was the rover class, but now that is completely
a different story!!!
I don't think giving more points for cw contacts helps anything. It WILL
alienate stations who do not or do not wish to use CW. Why do that??
I will get off my soap box now (and just lurk for a while).
bill, K1DY FN54 Maine
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